Category Archives: Makena

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Hello everyone! Your favorite dog blogger is back! And Happy (belated) New Year!! My parents need to leave the computer open and the wifi on while they are busy at work, so I can keep my peeps updated more often! For those new to the blog, I’m a little Jack Russell Terrier that likes to take over the blog once in a while, and post about my life on the road.

Keeping my peeps informed!

Normally my parents do their work camping thing (which pays for my toys and treats) from mid-May to the end of December. I’m not sure that I like this idea of them working all the way through mid-April this year. Usually I get to spend the first four months of the year being the center of attention. Now they are off working 3 days a week, and I’m home alone listening to the radio. I guess it’s better than being back in Wisconsin, where it’s 22 below, and that’s just the air temperature! My mom’s sister Margie sent her this picture this morning. That is just wrong! I feel bad for my cousins, Rudy and Reagan. They are German Shorthair Pointers, so they have even less hair than I do! I would need to use a litter box, because there’s no way I’m going outdoors to pee in that temperature!

I did get to go with my parents to San Diego (thanks Gary and Julia for booking a dog-friendly house so I could come along!). I’ve visited the Atlantic Ocean several times in Florida, and was excited to get my paws wet in the Pacific Ocean! I’m officially a coast-to-coast traveler now!

My mom and I sat down for our regular photo with my cousin Simon. That tiny baby has grown into a handsome young boy.

Simon has also grown into the perfect height for getting snacks! I’ve taught him well.

I was super excited when my grandparents came to visit me here in Yuma! They have been very busy with golfing, line dancing, playing cards and participating in many other activities in the park. When they came over, gramps was a little pooped out, and grandma was more interested in her iPad. I feel left out….

sigh…

Longtime readers may recall that grandpa and I share the same birthday, March 20. They will not be here in March, so we decided to have an early birthday celebration, with gramps turning 82, and I will be 12! The cake was delicious!

Looking at the photo with 2 candles, has caused me to reflect on the 10 years that have passed since the last time I had 2 candles on a cake.

just a pup at age 2

I now have some gray behind the ears, but I think I still look great for my age! Back then, we were living in a house, and I enjoyed playing with the neighbor kids, Adam, Faith, Josh and Ben. They would play football with me, which I enjoyed. But I really enjoy living in a fifth wheel. The smaller space suits me better, and I get to meet people from all over the country, and discover new spots to sniff and pee. Life is good!

Quote for the day: “A boy can learn a lot from a dog: obedience, loyalty, and the importance of turning around three times before lying down.” – Robert Benchley

Hello everyone, it’s me Makena, your favorite dog blogger! It’s time for my update on the dog’s life on the road.

Keeping my peeps informed!

For those that are new, I injured my back last fall (too much playing I guess!). I was shut down and had to spend several weeks “in jail” inside a big crate (thanks Dave and Angie).

By January I was feeling better, and had my freedom back, but then I tweaked my back again. In April, my mom took me back to the vet, and they did another x-ray, and my vertebrae has not completely fused together yet. So Dr. Alex put me on some steroids, and said I needed to remain off my paws until I can heal up some more.

I’m starting to feel better, and hope to be able to walk off leash again out here in Wyoming. After all, what’s a dog to do with 100 acres of land to explore? My parents mentioned the 4th of July as my target date to gain my “freedom.” In the meantime, I spend my days back in jail…oops, I mean the kennel, while they are busy working.

It has been raining a lot this past week. I really don’t like being inside the 5th wheel when it rains, as it is just too noisy. But my mom always says “no rain, no rainbows!” She always looks for rainbows when it stops, and she did get this photo the other day right outside the RV.

Before we came out to Wyoming, we stayed at Camp Meyer (Doug and Linda’s house, Dan’s sister) in Hortonville, Wisconsin. I had my first face to face with a rabbit that was caught in a rabbit trap. I was a little afraid at first, but when I realized it was stuck in jail (I could sympathize) then I moved closer to it.

Don’t worry, it was released unharmed. I told it to stay away!

On our way out to Wyoming, we stopped in Minnesota so I could visit with my cousin Simon. He’s 13 months old now. Here we are last year, when he was about 6 weeks old.

And about 6 months later…

Last year, I was not impressed with him, as he really didn’t do anything. But now that he is 13 months of age…

I think this picture thing might become a tradition. Hopefully Simon is the only one that puts on weight over time! At least that is what my Mom hopes.

He’s finally in the “trainable mode”. I was able to teach him how to drop food during lunch time!

We worked on scratching my ears…

And I taught him how to watch for squirrels from the upstairs window at Gary and Julia’s house, Simon’s grandparents (Dan’s brother).

It was a busy day with my cousin, and we were both exhausted after a long day of playing!

Yes, he’s now one of my favorite cousins! Food, scratches, and naps. What more could a dog want?!

Quote for the day: “Dogs have boundless enthusiasm but no sense of shame. I should have a dog as a life coach.” – Moby

Hello everyone! It’s me, Makena, and I’m back after resting up for a few months! For those new to the blog, I’m a soon-to-be 11-year-old Jack Russell Terrier that likes to post the views of the traveling dog.

Keeping my peeps informed!

Before we left Florida, I did get a few days to visit my buddy (in his mind), Mr. Finn. My parents went with their friends Tom and Ellen to watch a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Winter Park. Ellen, Mr. Finn’s mom, made him wear some crazy clothes and took him along to the parade. I heard that he was quite popular, and many people stopped to take his picture. Hmmm….I guess I wouldn’t mind all that attention from humans. But my head is too small for that big green hat he was wearing!

Mr. Finnigan

Mr. Finn went to watch his big sister Annabelle dance after the parade. She does Irish dancing, and her school, Watters School of Irish Dancing, put on a free performance after the parade. My parents said they really enjoyed the performance, but my mom has no coordination to dance like Annabelle. Annabelle is the shorter girl in front, and her proud grandma, Ellen, is the lady wearing the shamrock headpiece in the front row!

After that, we packed up our house, and I spent the next several days in travel mode, riding in my crate in the back seat of the truck. There’s nothing better than finding new places to pee! I like leaving my mark all over the country. I was getting a bit confused with my schedule during this traveling time. My mom is normally up at 6am, and takes me out to go to the bathroom. As with humans, you get used to doing your business at a certain time, if you know what I mean. And I always have my canned food dinner at 5:00 pm! But while we were traveling, my mom kept telling me we are now on Central Time, and I had to wait. I didn’t understand, and just as I adjusted to the new time schedule my mom started feeding me early again. Apparently we switched to Daylight Savings Time? I just don’t get these humans and their time changes. When my belly alarm goes off, I need food. Not a difficult concept for us dogs.

We arrived in Texas and I was excited to see my Aunt LuAnn, Uncle John and cousin Alicia. But then I discovered those “other cousins,” the four-legged kind. They gave me a big “Texas welcome,” which I was less than enthused about.

Seriously? Both ends?

Toffee decided to sniff my head, and Karamel got the other end. Then they switched positions. I think my mom needs to stop using the lavender-scented shampoo. After that greeting, I discovered two more cousins waiting to greet me, Athena and Artemous.

After that traumatic episode, my parents took me outside, without a leash (yay!) since they have a fenced in backyard. It was then that I discovered even more cousins (must be a Texas thing), but they were chickens! Hmmm, I like chickens, but they wouldn’t let me in the pen meet them. I just had to watch from a distance.

Needless to say, I was quite exhausted by all this activity, and decided it would be best to hide under my aunt and uncle’s bed. I felt this would make a good “safe zone” away from those big poodles. Unfortunately, the cat’s also use this area for their safe zone as well. They were not amused that I was in their space, and promptly cornered me. My parents were unaware of this cat bullying, until they kept calling my name, and wondered why I was not responding. Then they found me and rescued me. Whew!

I slept well that first night back in the RV!

The next day we went back to visit, and I was not prepared to discover that I had even MORE cousins! Yes, they adopted another standard poodle, Café Noir, who is eight weeks old. My parents found her adorable, me, not so much.

Cousins Café Noir and Alicia

Apparently the big dogs have taught the little dogs how to butt sniff. I’m doing my best to keep it away from all of them.

My parents did bring my crate along, so I would not infringe upon the cat’s safe place. Unfortunately, my new cousin hasn’t learned her boundaries yet, and tried to sneak in with me. Now I know how the cats felt when I invaded their safe zone.

And if that new dog wasn’t enough, they also had a guinea pig too. It stays at school in LuAnn’s classroom, but she brought it home for spring break, so it would ‘stay alive.’ Again, I was not allowed in this cage. I think I would have liked this cousin. It would be too small to reach my butt to sniff!

Since my parents have been out playing tourist, I have spent several days inside my crate at my cousins. I don’t get to sleep as much as I would like because I need to keep an eye out for my cousins.

I think I tweaked my back in Florida, and was not feeling well. Even though I don’t like being locked up in my crate all day, I have started to feel better. Hopefully I can continue to get stronger, as I really miss playing with my football. Oh, the good old days…sigh.

Well thanks for following along with me on my adventures. I’m sure my mom will be back soon posting, as they have kept themselves busy in Dallas. Take care!

Quote for the day: “I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.” – Rita Rudner

Hello everyone, it’s me again! For those new to the blog, I’m Makena, who occasionally takes over this blog. Today I have a lot to write about, and it’s not good news for me…

Keeping my peeps informed!

But before I get to the bad news, I will do a brief summer recap. I again enjoyed my time out in Wyoming, with 100 acres to roam around, off leash! What dog wouldn’t love this?

My parents were excited about the Eclipse, and I was prepared with my glasses. But I ended up staying in the 5th wheel….no dogs allowed by the cabins…sigh.

I spent the summer doing a lot of playing with my football….maybe too much playing, which I will get to later. The weather was good all summer, until the end. My parents promised me when we ventured out on this crazy journey that we would always have warm weather. But once again, we ended up with quite a bit of snow. But I didn’t let it stop me. I made my mom put on her boots and winter coat (had to dust it off!) and get out and play with me. October in Wyoming!

Hurry Up! I’m ready!

And away I go in the snow!

We made a quick stop in Minnesota on the way home, so I could see how my cousin Simon was doing. He is now 6 months old, and has grown a lot since I last saw him. Compare the photos from May (bottom) and October:

He still can’t throw a football, and he’s not eating solid food, so I’m still not that interested in him yet. I did try to teach him how to rub my belly. But apparently, Grandpa Gary has been teaching Simon the “pull my finger,” trick, as he was only interested in “pulling my paw!”

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

When we got back to Wisconsin, my parents dropped me off at my grandparents house, so I would be well taken care of while they helped out remodel their friends business. However, after two weeks, they picked me up and took me in to see the doctor. And that’s where we get to the bad news. For the last few weeks, I have been unable to jump up on the couch or the bed at night. I still wanted to play and play, and my parents didn’t think too much of this at first. But I wasn’t getting any better, and was having trouble going up steps. So they decided to have me checked out.

My doctor in Wisconsin retired, so they tried out a new clinic, Kuenzi Family Pet Hospital, and were happy with the visit. I was not. They were concerned I may have torn a ligament in my knee, but they could never figure out which leg I was favoring. Dr. Alex did a thorough examination, and put me through a lot of range of motion tests, and said my legs and neck were fine, (that’s the good news) but he was concerned about my back, and took me in another room for x-rays.

The bad news: I ruptured a disc in my spine, and the two vertebrae are now just “bone on bone.” Dr. Alex said in humans, this would be an extremely painful injury. But I’m one tough dog, and haven’t displayed much pain. Here are two of my x-rays:

Yes, I’m a lean, mean, machine!

Now for those reading this that are not Radiologic Technologists (Happy Rad Tech week, by the way!), here is the above image blown up, and I have added some markings. The arrow on the top left points to the microchip that was inserted in me when I was a puppy. The other 3 arrows point to the disc spaces in between my vertebrae. This is how they should look. The circle shows the two vertebrae that are rubbing together. The disc is gone. And there is narrowing at the disc space below that level.

So this is where “the ugly” comes into play. Since the vertebrae appear to be starting to fuse together, Dr. Alex said wants to hold off on considering surgery. However, for the next 6 weeks, I have to be completely non-weight bearing! In other words, I have to stay in my crate….ugh! No playing, no jumping, no walking. My parents carry me out to go potty, and then carry me back in.

I’m not happy, and I don’t understand why I’ve been put “in jail.”

My parents friends, Dave and Angie, let them borrow a bigger crate that I can stay in during the day (at night I’m back in the little crate in the bedroom). They call it “The Taj Mahal.”

I call it “a bigger jail.” But I am happy they put my dog bed in it, and set it in front of the electric fireplace. I’m on pain meds and anti-inflammatory pills, which are making me feel better. I have learned that they will let me out, “on good behavior,” for an hour or two at night, as long as I don’t run around. I heard the word “NO” for several days, before I complied with their rules, and just laid down on a blanket outside the crate.

Freedom!

The worst part of all of this, even worse than being stuck in a crate for 6 weeks, is that I am not allowed to play football, until February, at the earliest. It’s going to be a long winter for me….

Quote for the Day: “Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation, and almost as good for the soul as prayer.” – Dean Koontz

Hello everyone, it’s time for your favorite dog blogger to post again! My parents have been very busy with work, so I thought I would get you caught up on what I have been up to.

Keeping my peeps informed!

While my parents were busy working in Wisconsin, I was back at my grandparents house, keeping them busy. I really enjoy my time there, because they spend all day playing with me, taking me for walks, and lot’s of cuddling time. It’s a good time!

After we left Wisconsin, we stopped in Minnesota and I met my newest cousin, Simon. Right now, other than being cute, he’s not very exciting. He just sleeps a lot, and he’s not eating real food yet. Hopefully by the time I see him again, he will be sitting in a high chair, tossing some food onto the floor for me. Then I will be more interested in him.

Simon’s pretty boring right now

Once he gets bigger, I will have to teach him how to throw my football. Gary and Julia spent some time tossing the ball to me, and I enjoyed my time at their house.

But it was time to move on, and I really enjoy traveling. I was excited when we arrived back at Luton’s Teton Cabins, as it is my favorite work camping job for my parents. They walk to work, so I know they are close by. With a 45 minute lunch, I get to play every day when they come home. I have them well trained already! They even surprised me with a new football! I have acres and acres of playing field!

Yes, this place is a dog’s dream! What’s not to love about this view?

And the fact I can walk around off-leash is a bonus! Lot’s of trails right on the property for me to check out. There are 4 other dogs with me this year. Casey and Honey are back, and they have already stuck their noses in my butt….sigh. I also met the two new dogs, Lilly and Molly. I also heard there are two cats that like to walk on a leash, but I have not met them yet. I think I would like them. Cats are usually more polite to me.

Happy to be back!

When I am not out playing, walking, or marking my spots (need to let the elk, bison, horses and bears know I am around!), I spend most of my day waiting for my parents to reappear from the bushes. I am not allowed to go beyond those bushes where the cabins are. So I just sit in the window and wait.

I know it’s going to be a great summer again! My parents said it should be very busy, as they are already booked full for most of the summer. Hopefully they won’t be too tired to go for regular walks on the property.

Take care everyone and have a great summer!

Quote for the day: “Ever wonder where you would end up if you took your dog for a walk and never once pulled back on the leash?” – Robert Brault